Peggy, sorry to hear the game has crashed on you. It has never done that to me, so I don't know what to tell you. If you're not doing this already, you may want to turn off any programs running in the background before starting a game session (those with icons down by the clock at the bottom of your desktop). And check the game's options for some feature you may be able to tone down. I never had a problem with merchants not wanting to buy decent loot, no doubt because I play with my character edited up to better than he would normally be. I try not to talk too much about the "Even Darker Side" (playing RPGs with cheats), but just be aware that this character editor is available if you want it at some point. You can't edit all their stats, but it sure helps with survivability and building up your money. Also, you can't give them items, but you can change any Found Schematic into any other one that you'd rather have.

Debra, we'll have to go multiplayer so you can give me one of those crystals. Yeah, those half-elf chicks are always good lookers, aren't they? Must be something in that pure elven spring water. I'm hoping Syd is in the process of procuring a copy of this game so she can join us. Does she like to play as a stealthy character?

She is in the process of procuring the game but you guys will probably be finished before I arrive to play And nope, she likes to wade in with both feet - sword and spells blazing (could be why my cloak didn't "cloak" - not enough stealthy practice)

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Dark Side : RisenLight Side:

I can only please one person a day. Today isn't your day. Tomorrow's not looking good either.

Originally posted by syd: She is in the process of procuring the game but you guys will probably be finished before I arrive to play

Perish the thought. It's really a big game, especially if you're doing a lot of the side quests. I could be at it for another couple months. Yeah, I'm not much on sneakin' around, either, and even less on things like backstabbing and pickpocketing---only do these when I have to. I like to proceed methodically and cautiously, but to be able to mount a vigorous defense when attacked.

Debra, found a Kathorn crystal, made a pair of Wheel Clan spectacles to access this area, did it, and am now in Stillwater. So I'm not too far behind you, I guess. Tally ho!

I am still hanging around the Black Root, Dernholm, Tarant and Shadow Hills area trying to build up enough to conquer those baddies in the Black Mountain Mines. Boy what a place!

Slowly, but surely I am figuring out the system for adding points. And I now understand why all the trainers brushed me off. I am an expert in Melee, but am leveling so slowly and with stingy points, I will be forever running around the "outback" fighting for experience.

Yes, Debra, I am enjoying still. I am a goody two-shoes with a game-generated character, Ker'ee Melange, half-elf. She was a cutie til I started adding armor. Her beauty is dropping rapidly. Guess I'll have to pay the high prices or pump points into haggle. Have found that Rizelle in Shadow Hills buys almost all my stuff, so I run back there frequently.

Syd, as you can see, I will probably still be in the area when you crash into the game! I am sure you will arrive in "a blaze of glory"!

Anyone have an extra Malochian amulet? I sold all mine and now I need one and can't find a bad guy anywhere. Any pointers?Syd, this game is huge. We'll meet you at Madame Lil's in Tarant. I'll be the one shearing the sheep.

Debra, you need one of those amulets to access the Dark Elves place? The strategy book reminds us that there was one at the Crash Site and another in Elder Joachim's room at the Shrouded Hills inn. Apart from making overland treks, hoping to get waylaid by some more guys who wear these, it says it's possible to talk your way in without one, and also suggests sneaking in after making yourself invisible. Hope that helps. I'm on my way to Caladon, but will probably be doing some backtracking for side quests before long.

I have made it to Ashbury and have done most of the quests there. I am now in the haunted castle attempting to slay the dark lord. I succeeded once, but then Magnus wouldn't follow me (I had my party hold while I lured the slaves out to slaughter). No matter how many times I told him to stop waiting, he just stood there. I would leave the stubborn man if I didn't want the stuff he was carrying.

I'm replaying with two (dog and Mug) waiting outside the door and trying to lure with Magnus flying into harm's way! We have slain several slaves. Now I am tired of saving and reloading constantly so I am off to bed.

Hi, Peggy. Glad to hear you've picked up Dog. He's good---I wanna keep him till the end of the game this time. Haven't done the Ashbury Haunted House yet, so I can't remember anything that might help you, but, with Magnus, the guide book says giving him some Dwarven Snuff (available in shops) can improve his disposition towards you. Also, picking up Torian Kel (an ancient warrior you meet in the Temple of the Derian-Ka) makes Magnus very unhappy.

This seems to be a bug with Magnus. I had it happen when I accepted the pig slaying quest. After I ask the group to wait only Magnus would not "quit waiting" when I told him to. I do have some dwarven snuff but can't figure out how to get him to recognize that I have given it to him. Once before, when my beauty was down to 4, he quit following me and did mention the snuff. I replayed that part to keep him and shortly thereafter my beauty jumped up to 9. Don't know what I did to make it go down, or how it went back up. Had to be something I was wearing, don't you think?

Anyway, I am going back to try to keep him alive long enough to lure all the slaves out to Dog and Mug. Then we can all rush the dark lord and Mug usually kills before any of our party is badly hurt. Will report success or failure later!

I don't like Magus. He's a whiner and a so-so fighter. He sticks to me like Velcro and he can't even carry much. I hope you pick up some good party members. Sig's right Dog is great. He loves you no matter what you do.I tried talking my way into the dark elves area and I tried invisibility, but neither worked for me. I found a Half-orc man in the Ashbury bar that had a Malochian Hand Amulet on and I pickpocketed it. I tried to get the Dark Elf female mage to join but she said I was too "morally straight". Hey, I'm just 98% morally straight. Talk about being rigid. What's wrong with her??

Peggy, what pig-slaying quest are you talking about? I don't think you mean the one for that farmer in Ashbury, cuz you wouldn't have had party members wait behind for you on that one. How are you trying to give Magnus that dwarven snuff? The way I would do it is . . . open your inventory, drag the snuff over to the "Use box" on the right (that oval with the hand on it), then, when it switches back to the regular game view, click the pointer either on Magnus or his portrait. I don't care for him---he wouldn't even talk to us much when we met him. Let me know if you need some help finding other recruitable characters you might be interested in. And, about your Beauty fluctuations, check the Kills & Injuries tab (I think it's called) in your log book. The "Injuries" refers to you. Since you've been having a tough time of it, you might be all scarred up. What does it say there? Something like "Treated injuries are struck out." About Dog, I also like how he's low-maintenance.

Don't know if you were kidding, Debra, but 98% morally straight means that you're 48% more good than neutral, and even neutral is more good than Dark Elves are, so Z'an Al'urin was seeing quite a disparity between you and her. But I like her more than Raven and picked her up in my first playthrough, though I may not in this one. I just got the location of her village marked on my world map, but I want to do some side quests before going there. In the next session, I think I'll go pick up Jormund (who's a dwarf that I actually like), then fight through part of the Wheel Clan area, so I can get the Mithril ore for the Bronwyck's Gun I wanna make. My party's shaping up nicely. Looking forward to getting rid of the gangs in The Boil when we get around to the re-attempt on that. (Hmm. We need a "Cheers" gremlin who's hoisting a frothy mug of ale. Anyway . . . Cheers!)

Couldn't get the game to give me the necessary dialogue choices to solve the murder that Jormund's accused of in Qintarra, so I couldn't pick him up, but I've picked up the lizard guy, Waromon, who I like also, and will be heading back to the Wheel Clan shortly for that mithril I need.

I messed up the dialog for Jormund, too. Rats!That was great advice about checking for injuries that weren't treated. I'd forgotten about that.I want to play this game as an evil person just once. Maybe if I have a good character and an evil character game going at the same time, I can do it. Have either of you ever played any game as a bad guy/gal?P.S. Sig, I'm always either 100% good or as near to it as I can be in this game. I thrive on Kudos and being the Savior of Shrouded Hills.

It seemed like you have to do the Jormund deal your first time in Qintarra, though the strategy guide makes no mention of this. I'm pretty sure I picked him up in my first playthrough, but, this time, I didn't try to clear him of his mentor's death till my 2nd time there, and, no matter what I tried, I couldn't get the necessary dialogue choices to pursue the matter from either the guy guarding him or that gal near the vase that's supposed to have the vial of poison in it. Hated to leave Jormund under house arrest, but there was nothing I could do about it. I'll probably try to pick up Perriman Smythe a little later on, as I'd like to have a spellcaster in the group. Didn't pick him up the first time, but he's my 2nd choice, after Jormund.

No, I've never played any game as a bad character, and I guess I never will. Neutral is as low as I go, but in THIS game I'm as good as I can be. Right now, I'm in the middle of taking out both gangs in The Boil, after which I will loot the whole place. After that, I'll probably go do the rest of the side stuff in Ashbury. Enjoying the discourse in this thread as we all play it together. Syd should be starting any day now, don't you think?